The field has long been motivated to provide pillows for use when a person is sitting in repose. For example, over a century and a quarter ago Fast (U.S. Pat. No. 98,859) disclosed a device for supporting the head and upper spine of a user. The Fast device consists of a combination of an air-cushion placed at the back of a user's neck and two arm straps. The arm straps are tied to the user's arms and utilizes their weight as a counter-balance to assist in the support of the user's head. However, this combination encumbers a user's arms in order to accomplish its utility.
Later efforts in the field include the Thompson device (U.S. Pat. No. 2,336,707), which discloses a cradle-shaped pillow having a plurality of interior compartments, and a smaller-sized section for receiving the back of a user's neck. Kantor (U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,347) also discloses a head/neck cushion with a depressed section for receiving the back of a user's head. In contrast, Craig (U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,863) discloses a V-shaped pillow that increases in width toward the apex of the V-shape where the back of the user's neck is received. Davis et al. disclose a relatively stiff cushion for receiving only one side of a user's neck
These prior devices employ various structural elements and features in order to accomplish their utility. However, none of these cushion/pillow devices disclose or teach the use of a solid fill material which the user can insert or remove in order to either modify the firmness of the pillow, or to allow washing of the casing and replacement of the fill material. It would be beneficial to have a travel pillow for use when sitting in repose which combines simplicity of construction with the ability to adjust firmness and easily be cleaned.